Dual speed motor controller and method for operation thereof

ABSTRACT

A dual speed pump controller includes a motor controller for operating a dual speed motor. The controller includes an operating speed circuit for operating the motor in one of a first speed or a second speed, the first speed being greater than the second speed; an event circuit for operating the motor at the first speed before a predetermined event and operating the pump at the second speed after the predetermined event.

PRIORITY

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/903,583, filed Nov. 13, 2013, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to motors operating pumps and pump controllers, systems and methods for controlling pumps in various applications, and more particularly, to a pump having a dual speed pump controller for controlling the operation of recirculating pumps used in swimming pool environments.

BACKGROUND

Standard recirculating pumps are used in swimming pool environments in connection with the filtering systems. The pumps are often high capacity pumps that move thousands of gallons per hour. The electric power required to move these large volumes of water is often very high. Many federal and local governments have enacted laws and regulations to curtail this high electric use.

Attempts that have been made to design pumps within the legally required specifications include for example timers, voltage controllers, and flow volume modifications, none of which adequately address the problem at hand.

This disclosure describes improvements over these prior art technologies.

SUMMARY

Accordingly, a motor controller connected to a pump is provided. The dual speed pump controller includes a motor controller for operating a dual speed motor, comprising: an operating speed circuit for operating the motor in one of a first speed or a second speed, the first speed being greater than the second speed; an event circuit for operating the motor at the first speed before a predetermined event and operating the pump at the second speed after the predetermined event.

Accordingly a method for operating a motor connected to a pump and a controller is provided. The method includes operating the motor by the controller at a first speed for a predetermined amount of time; and after the expiration of the predetermined amount of time, switching by the controller the speed of the motor to a second speed, wherein the first speed is greater than the second speed.

Accordingly a method for operating a motor connected to a pump and a controller is provided. The method includes operating by the controller the pump at a first speed; receiving at the controller pressure data from a pressure sensor indicating an output pressure of the pump; if the output pressure is below a predetermined pressure, continuing the operation of the pump at first speed; and if the output pressure is above a predetermined pressure, operating the pump at second speed, wherein the first speed is greater than the second speed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure will become more readily apparent from the specific description accompanied by the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a controller for controlling a dual speed pump according to the present disclosure; and

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for controlling a dual speed pump according to the present disclosure.

Like reference numerals indicate similar parts throughout the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure may be understood more readily by reference to the following detailed description of the disclosure taken in connection with the accompanying drawing figures, which form a part of this disclosure. It is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the specific devices, methods, conditions or parameters described and/or shown herein, and that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments by way of example only and is not intended to be limiting of the claimed disclosure.

Also, as used in the specification and including the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include the plural, and reference to a particular numerical value includes at least that particular value, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Ranges may be expressed herein as from “about” or “approximately” one particular value and/or to “about” or “approximately” another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent “about,” it will be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment. It is also understood that all spatial references, such as, for example, horizontal, vertical, top, upper, lower, bottom, left and right, are for illustrative purposes only and can be varied within the scope of the disclosure.

Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, which are illustrated in the accompanying figures.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a dual speed pump controlled according to the present disclosure. Controller 100 consists of control circuitry 10, input device 20 and relay 30. In other embodiments, controller 100 can also include indicator(s) 40. Controller 100 is connected to a dual speed motor 60 which in turn is connected to pump 70. Input line voltage is routed via relay 30 to either the low speed or high speed connections of motor 60. In other embodiments, pressure sensor 50 can be connected to pump 70 and control circuitry 10 to provide pressure data from pump 70 to controller 100.

Control circuitry 10 is designed to implement the method for operating the controller and switch the pump motor 60 between its low speed and high speed. Control circuitry 10 can be electronic circuitry designed or a microprocessor programmed to switch relay 30 based on the method of control described herein.

Input device 10 is available to select between different modes of operation, including a normal operating mode and a service operating mode. In addition, input device 10 is available to select between different voltage input levels, if available, e.g. 120 V or 240 V. Input device 10 can be implemented as one or more switches, including, but not limited to, dip switches, slide switches, push button switches and/or toggle switches.

Indicator(s) 40 can include lights and/or display devices to indicate the settings of the controller 100, e.g. normal operating mode at high speed or service mode at low speed. For example, indicator(s) 40 can include light emitting diodes (LEDs), incandescent bulbs, digital displays, etc.

For priming, pressure sensor(s) 50 can be included to sense an output pressure of pump 70 when priming is complete and automatically switch to a lower speed. Pressure sensor(s) 50 can include pump outlet water taps or electronic devices to sense when priming is complete.

Motor 60 can be any motor manufactured to operate at more than one speed. Although motor 60 is described herein as having an internal configuration to operate at various speeds, an external speed controller is contemplated and would be controlled by controller 100. Motor 60 can include low speed, high speed and service settings. The use of differing speeds can reduce the total power consumption to 1/8 the power consumption of uncontrolled use.

Pump 70 can be any mechanical pump for moving liquids. The present disclosure discusses swimming pool applications, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

In operation, the controller 100 is an electronic switch assembly which controls the input motor 60 to operate in an automatic mode, an off mode or a service mode. In the automatic mode, motor 60 is operated at a high speed until the occurrence of an event and is then switched to a low speed mode. The event could be a the end of a specific time limit (e.g. 5 minutes, 10 minutes, etc) or the reaching of a threshold pressure sensed by pressure sensor 50 at the output of the pump 70 that signifies the pump is primed; other events are contemplated. In the service mode motor 60 is permitted to run for a longer period of time (e.g. 3 hours) if high speed service mode is selected and is then switched back to low speed mode after the expiration of the time. Motor 60 will continue to run in low speed until power is interrupted.

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for controlling a dual speed pump according to the present disclosure.

In step s1, control circuitry 10 determines if the process should begin normal operation. This determination is made based on the input of a user using the input(s) 20. If normal operation is selected, the process continued to step s2, else the process continues to step s7. In step s2, controller 100 operates motor 60 at a high speed. In step s3, control circuitry 10 determines if the predetermined event has occurred. If so, the process continues to step s4, else the process returns to step s3. It is noted that the event can be, for example, the expiration of a timer or the reaching of a pump output pressure. In step s4, if the event has occurred, controller 100 operates motor 60 at a low speed. In step s5, if controller 100 is instructed to switch off the power, the power is switched off in step s6, else the process returns to step s1.

If normal operation is not selected in step s1, in step s7 process enters the service mode. In step s8, the control circuitry 10 determines if a high speed is selected based on the input of a user via input 20, and if selected proceeds to step 9, else to step a11. In step s9, if a high speed is selected, controller 100 operates motor 60 at a high speed. In step s10, control circuitry 10 determines if the service mode timer has expired. If not, the process returns to step s10. If the service mode timer has expired in step s10 or if the high speed is not selected in step s8, in step s11, controller 100 operates motor 60 in a low speed.

The present disclosure has been described herein in connection with a pump in a swimming pool environment. Other applications are contemplated.

Where this application has listed the steps of a method or procedure in a specific order, it may be possible, or even expedient in certain circumstances, to change the order in which some steps are performed, and it is intended that the particular steps of the method or procedure claim set forth herebelow not be construed as being order-specific unless such order specificity is expressly stated in the claim.

While the preferred embodiments of the devices and methods have been described in reference to the environment in which they were developed, they are merely illustrative of the principles of the inventions. Modification or combinations of the above-described assemblies, other embodiments, configurations, and methods for carrying out the invention, and variations of aspects of the invention that are obvious to those of skill in the art are intended to be within the scope of the claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A motor controller for operating a dual speed motor, comprising: an operating speed circuit for operating the motor in one of a first speed or a second speed, the first speed being greater than the second speed; an event circuit for operating the motor at the first speed before a predetermined event and operating the pump at the second speed after the predetermined event.
 2. The motor controller of claim 1, wherein the event circuit is a timing circuit for operating the motor at the first speed for a predetermined period of time and after the expiration of the predetermined period of time operating the motor at the second speed.
 3. The motor controller of claim 2, wherein the motor is connected to a pump to operate the pump at either the first speed or the second speed.
 4. The motor controller of claim 3, wherein the predetermined time is set to a time period to permit the pump to undergo priming.
 5. The motor controller of claim 3, further comprising a pressure sensor to monitor the pressure at an output of the pump and connected to the controller, wherein the event circuit is a pressure sensor circuit for operating the motor at the first speed until an output pressure of the pump reaches a threshold pressure and operating the motor at the second speed after the output pressure of the pump reaches the threshold pressure.
 6. The motor controller of claim 5, wherein the threshold pressure is set to a pressure indicating the pump has completed a priming process.
 7. The motor controller of claim 1, further comprising a bypass circuit to operate the motor at a manually selected speed and bypass the event circuit operation.
 8. The motor controller of claim 1, further comprising at least one light indicator to indicate the operating speed of the motor.
 9. A method for operating a motor connected to a pump and a controller, comprising the steps of: operating the motor by the controller at a first speed for a predetermined amount of time; and after the expiration of the predetermined amount of time, switching by the controller the speed of the motor to a second speed, wherein the first speed is greater than the second speed.
 10. The method for operating a motor of claim 9, wherein the predetermined time is set to a time period to permit the pump to undergo priming.
 11. The method for operating a motor of claim 9, further comprising manually selecting the speed at which to operate the motor and bypassing the automatic controller speed selection.
 12. The method for operating a motor of claim 11, further comprising indicating by at least one light indicator the operating speed of the motor.
 13. A method for operating a motor connected to a pump and a controller, comprising the steps of: operating by the controller the pump at a first speed; receiving at the controller pressure data from a pressure sensor indicating an output pressure of the pump; if the output pressure is below a predetermined pressure, continuing the operation of the pump at first speed; and if the output pressure is above a predetermined pressure, operating the pump at second speed, wherein the first speed is greater than the second speed.
 14. The method for operating a pump of claim 13, wherein the threshold pressure is set to a pressure indicating the pump has completed a priming process.
 15. The method for operating a pump of claim 13, further comprising manually selecting the speed at which to operate the motor and bypassing the automatic controller speed selection.
 16. The method for operating a pump of claim 13, further comprising indicating by at least one light indicator the operating speed of the motor. 